Use up leftover mashed sweet potatoes with these delightful 5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes! These mini pancakes are naturally sweetened, easy to make with pantry staples, and perfect to customize with classic pancake toppings.
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Note from Danielle
Fall food lovers, sweet potato-aholics, or just any of us with leftovers after a gathering: you’re gonna want to save this recipe!
These pancakes were originally published back in 2017, when I was going through an intense sweet potato phase. They were tasty, but delicate and unreliable, too. Mixed reviews were totally valid!
But I’ve got good news! We did several tests and came up with a *new* 5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes recipe that always turns out. Mini pancakes that are quick cooking, easy to flip, and loved by all.
Please keep in mind if you’re reading comments from before November 2026, they were reviews of the old version of the recipe. As of today, everything (including the recipe) is brand sparkling new! Enjoy!
👉 Here in the post, you’ll find detailed info and helpful tips based on my personal experience with this recipe.
🖨️ For the printable recipe card with ingredients list and concise instructions, keep scrolling or hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page.
🙋♀️ Frequently asked questions about this recipe are located after the recipe card.
Recipe Overview
Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Stovetop
Prep: Make-Ahead Friendly
Ingredients in these Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes:
Quantity of ingredients is low, but simplicity and deliciousness are high! With so few ingredients, each one is important to ensure these pancakes come together correctly. Here’s a little info on each and why it’s helpful in this recipe:
- mashed sweet potato – These aren’t just regular banana pancakes. They have a guest! Sweet potatoes add additional sweetness, moisture, and flavor to the pancakes.
- ripe bananas – Point me in the direction of someone who doesn’t like banana pancakes, and I’ll be shocked! Riper bananas add sweetness, moisture and bulk to the recipe.
- eggs – Just like any baked good, the eggs help bind everything together and add some nice lift to the pancakes. Plus some protein!
- all-purpose flour – For the entire batch, you only need 6 tablespoons of flour, which is less than 1/2 cup. But it helps everything stick together, and more importantly, adds some gluten to give some rise and structure.
- baking powder – Don’t skip! This is what was missing in the old recipe. Baking powder helps pancakes puff (p for puff and powder, to help you remember).
Related: Looking for more Fall themed meal ideas with seasonal ingredients? Browse this list of Fall Recipes For Your Next Meal Plan!
Equipment you’ll need to make Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes:
There are some specific pieces of kitchen equipment you’ll need to make pancakes at home:
- For measuring small quantities, we’ve had these 5-Piece Magnetic Measuring Spoons (affiliate link!) forever, and they still work great. I love the different shaped ends on each spoon, so it’s basically two-for-one.
- For cooking pancakes, you’ll need a griddle or large non-stick pan. I don’t have a griddle, so I like to use my GreenPan 5Qt Ceramic Skillet (affiliate link!). Any non-stick pan or cooking surface will work. But keep in mind the smaller your pan is, the less pancakes you can cook at one time.
- To flip the pancakes, I recommend this OXO Large Silicone Turner (affiliate link!). This is my go-to utensil for pancakes or anything that needs to be flipped!
How to make 5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes:
This recipe comes together like any pancake recipe does! After making up the batter, the mini pancakes just cook for a couple minutes on each side. Depending on how big your pan is, you’ll use up the batter in 3-5 batches.
Here’s a breakdown of each cooking step, plus some extra tips you might find helpful:
1
Make the batter:
Mix together the mashed sweet potato and bananas with a fork, then add in the egg and mix until smooth.
Stir in the flour, a couple tablespoons at a time, followed by the baking powder, and optional pinch of salt as well, if using. Stir until just combined.
How to make mashed sweet potato:
To make mashed sweet potato, all you have to do is bake a sweet potato, then remove the skin and mash it up. Easy! 🍠
Here’s the step-by-step, if you need it (no judgement, I’m actually putting this here for myself):
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet pan with foil.
- Use a fork to poke a few holes in the potato (3-4 pokes with the fork is great).
- Rub with olive oil, place it on the sheet pan, then bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the thickness of the potato.
- It’s done when it’s fork tender and caramelly juice is dripping from the holes!
- Let it cool for a minute, then slice open, peel and mash.
2
Cook the pancakes:
Heat a large, non-stick skillet (or griddle!) over a low-medium heat, wait for the pan to heat up, then lightly coat with olive oil spray.
Cook about 2 tablespoons (or 1 heaping tablespoon) of batter per pancake, flipping when they’re golden brown (about 3 minutes per side).
Work in batches until the batter is gone, reapplying oil as needed and keeping the cooked pancakes on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the condensation.
3
Serve:
You should end up with about 18 mini pancakes. Enjoy immediately with all of your favorite servings!
Best tips for making these pancakes:
Here are my best tips for making pancakes at home:
- Adjust heat as you go. All ovens and stovetops vary with how quickly and how intensely they heat up. I usually have to reduce the heat a little as I get into the 3rd & 4th batches of pancakes, especially this recipe!
- Pay attention to the pancakes, and don’t step away from the pan for more than a few seconds. You may need to adjust as you go, and it helps to know exactly what’s going on with the heat and status of the pan.
More Banana recipes:
What to serve with these pancakes:
The great thing about pancakes is you can make a whole big deal out of them, or just eat them individually directly from the fridge. For a full meal, serve with a small side of fruit and breakfast meat, such as oven cooked bacon.
You can also bulk up the meal with an array of pancake toppings; here are some ideas:
- chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans would go well
- butter or whipped honey butter (yum)
- whipped cream, homemade or store-bought
- chopped fruit, like bananas or berries
- maple syrup (of course)
If you like this…
If you like this recipe, you’ll love my Banana Protein Pancakes! Made with a combo of pancake mix and mashed bananas, they’re super moist and delicious!
Ways to meal prep this recipe:
The best way to meal prep this recipe is to make the recipe as directed and then store leftovers in wrapped tightly or in an airtight container, so they last for the next few days.
Is this recipe freezer friendly?
Although not my favorite storage method for pancakes, it will work. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, or a freezer-safe food storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months. They may start to dry out after that, but will still be okay to eat.
How to store leftover Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes:
Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped) in the fridge for up to 3 days. They will start to dry out after that, but will still be okay to eat.
How to reheat pancakes:
Personally I like to eat leftover pancakes directly from the fridge to save time and avoid them drying out. However, they would reheat well in a toaster oven on the ‘Warm’ setting, or in the air fryer on low.
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Print
5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes
Use up leftover mashed sweet potatoes with these delightful 5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes! These mini pancakes are naturally sweetened, easy to make with pantry staples, and perfect to customize with classic pancake toppings.
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield~18 small pancakes
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup baked mashed sweet potato
- 2 small to medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt (optional)
- cooking spray, olive oil or butter
- your favorite toppings (whipped cream, chopped nuts, maple syrup!)
Instructions
- Make the batter: Mix together the mashed sweet potato (2/3 cup) and bananas (2, ripe) with a fork, then mix in the eggs (2, lightly whisked) until smooth. Stir in the flour (6 tablespoons), a couple tablespoons at a time, followed by the baking powder (1/2 teaspoon), and optional pinch of salt as well, if using. Stir until just combined.
- Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, non-stick skillet over a low-medium heat, wait for the pan to heat up, then lightly coat with olive oil spray or butter. Cook about 2 tablespoons (or 1 heaping tablespoons) of batter per pancake, flipping when they’re golden brown (about 3 minutes per side). Work in batches until the batter is gone, reapplying oil as needed and keeping the cooked pancakes on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the condensation. Smaller pancakes tend to be easier to flip, so try not to make them too big.If they’re browning too fast, turn down the heat a little. If your oil or cooking spray is burning, I recommend turning down the heat and wiping the pan between batches.
- Serve & store: You should end up with about 18 small pancakes. Serve immediately with maple syrup, honey butter, whipped cream, chopped nuts, a dash of cinnamon, or any other desired toppings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days.
Notes
Sweet potato: One small sweet potato will make about 2/3 cup mashed sweet potato after baking, peeling and mashing. To bake, pierce the sweet potato a few times with a fork, then bake on a lined baking tray at 400F for about 45 minutes, or until fully fork tender. Larger sweet potatoes will take 10-15 minutes longer.
UPDATE: Recipe was re-tested and updated November 5, 2026. If you made this recipe prior to that date, please note the ingredients and instructions have changed slightly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
Did You Make This?
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Recipe developed by Danielle Madden and Rachel Phipps. Photography by Christine Ma.
These pancakes tasted good but they were impossible to flip. They completely fall apart even though I followed the recipe exactly 🙁
I’m so sorry to hear this Kamille. Wish I could have been in the kitchen to see how they turned out. I’ll be retesting this recipe again soon as it has been a while since I’ve made them. I’d like to suggest my Banana Protein Pancakes (http://projectmealplan.com/banana-protein-pancakes/) which I make at least once a month – they have a couple of wonderful reviews from readers. However I totally understand if you don’t want to make any more pancakes from my site lol! Thanks for the feedback. – Danielle
I love this recipe too! I can’t believe it holds well without flour. To be DF GF and keto, I tried all sorts of recipes for pancakes so far, but this is the lightest and easiest to make. 😍😍😍
The test was excellent, but I can’t figure out how to flip them without them breaking
I figured it out. I added more flowers for them otherwise I could not flip them.
Thanks for your feedback Kristi. I apologize they didn’t work for you the first time around. This an old recipe and is on my list to go back and improve. I appreciate your time! -Danielle
Had no problem. Heated skillet well and used olive oil. Made the pancakes silver-dollar sized because I knew they would be rich. Very good with maple syrup.
Thanks Christine, glad you enjoyed them! Definitely agree about serving with maple syrup 🙂
Made these before and they were great. Any idea about a sub for bananas?
I love this recipe! It’s a “go to” for me. Super simple to make and usually comes out pretty well!